Chapter 6

Orthotropic flat shell elements

In this chapter, the constitutive relationship is extended to incorporate orthotropy.

Layered or tho tropic materials are particularly demanding in terms of the kinematic require­

ments of finite elements, since the transverse shear flexibility could be significant. herefore,

a shear flexible through-thickness formulation is called for. The Mindlin theory includes

shear deformations, and CO continuity of the shape functions only is required.

Hence, the 5/3 /S A, 8/3 / SA and 9/3/ SA elements developed in previous chapters are suitable

candidates for orthotropic problems.

6. 1 Constitutive relationship
The linear elastic three-dimensional stress-strain relation defined by

(6.1)

is used as the basic building brick for laminated orthotropic materials. It is assumed in
the plate theory of laminated orthotropic materials that the normal stress in each laminate
vanishes, i.e. it is assumed that (6. 1) reduces to

(lxx Qll Q12 Q16 0 0 Exx

(l yy Q22 Q26 0 0 Eyy
(lxy Q66 0 0 Exy (6.2)
(lx z Q44 Q45 Exz
(ly z Symm Q55 Eyz

where the stress-strain relations are written with respect to the reference coordinate system.
The laminate staking convention is depicted in Figure 6.l.
Since the orthotropic layers are generally rotated with respect to the reference coordinate
axis (see Figure 6.2), Q ij relates the principal directions of the material orthotropy to the
reference coordinate system. Qij is defined by

71
CHAPTER 6. ORTHOTROPIC FLAT SHELL ELElvIENTS 72

Figure 6.1: Laminat e staking convention

Q 11 c4 E ll 11 + 2c 2 52 El1 22 + 5 4 E 2222 + 4 5 2 C2 E
1212

2 4 2 2 2

Q 12 C S2 Ell 11 + S4 EU22 + c E 1l22 + S2 c E 2222 - 4s c E 1212

5C EUll + 53CE ll 22 - sc E l1 22 - s :lc E222 2 + 25 C(S2 - c )E1212

3 3 2

Q 16
2 4 2 2

Q22 S4 Ell 11 + 2S 2C El122 + c E 22 22 + 4 5 C E 12 12

3 3 2

cs E Ull + c S E 1l22 - cs E11 22 - c SE 222 2 + 2sc(c - s2) El 212

3 3
Q26
2
S2C EUll - 2S2 C E U22 + 5 C E222 2 + (c - 2 S2c + s4 )E1212

2 2 2 4
2
Q 66

c2E"-':'13 13 + S
2E

2323
c5 E 13 13 - CS E 2323

2 2
S E 131 3 + C E 2323 (6. 3)

where c and s res pectively ind icate cos and sin e e, while e indicates t he fi ber p ly a ngle in
res p ect t o the positive x l-axis (See Figure 6. 2).

F igure 6. 2: Local co ordinate system for lami nat ed structures

For orthotropic layered laminates E i Jk l are obt ainab le as

CHAPTER 6. ORTHOTROPIC FLAT SHELL ELEMEl TS 73

ET
E2222
(1 - VLT VTd
VLTET
Ell22
(1 - VLTVTL)
E1212 G LT
E1313 G LO
E 2323 GTO (6.4)

where the subscripts L a nd T indicat e the in-plane longitudinal and transverse directions
of the fib ers, and 0 indicates the out-of-plane transverse direction. Ei denote the Young's
moduli, G ij denote the shear moduli and Vij denote the Poisson's ratio 's.
Integration of the shell stresses yields the shell resultants as

h
N ij J!h (Jij dz i ,j = 1, 2
?,
filLlJ· J2-h z(Jij dz i,j = 1,2 (6 .5)
~
Vij J!h (Jij dz i = 1,2 ; j = 3
2

For isotropic materials the relevant constitutive relationships are given in (2.13), (4.1 8) a nd
(4 .24) respectively. For orthotropy the constitutive relationships are given by [59]

I:~= l(Q ijh(hk+l - hk) i, j = 1,2,6

~ I:~=l(Qijh(hk+l - hk) i,j=l,2,6 (6.6)
I:~=l(Qijh(hk+l - hk) i , j = 4,5

6.2 C ompliance matrix

Complementary to the general relationship between stress and strain, (6.1), one can define
the inverse relationships as:

(6.7)

where Sijkl is the 'compliance tensor'. (6.1) and (6.7) can be rewritten in matrix form

0' = EE (6.8)
E = 8 0' (6.9)

This means that 8 is the inverse of E. Therefore, Sijkl has the same symmetries as B ijkl .
(6.7) now reduces to
CHAPTER 6. ORTHOTROPI C FLAT SHELL ELElvIE rTS 74

Exx 5 11 5 12 5 16 0 0 O"xx

Eyy 5 22 5 26 0 0 O"yy
Exy 5 66 0 0 O"xy (6. 10)
Ex z 5 44 5 45 O"xz

Ey z 5ymm 5 55 O"y z

Sij relates the principal directions of the material orthotropy to the reference coordinate
system a nd are d efined by

5 11 c4 5 1111+ 2C2S25u22 + s452222 + S2c 2 5 1212

C 8 5 1111 + 8 5 1122 + c 5 ll22 + S2c 5 2222

-
2 2 4 4 2

5 12 82C251212

5 16 2sc 5 llU + 2ic5ll22 - 2sc 5 1l22 - 2S3C52222 - sc(c2

- s2)5 1212
3 3

5 22 s45 uu + 2S2C 2 5 1122 + c 4 5 2222 + S2C 2 5 1212

5 26 2cs 3 5 ull + 2c3 s5 1122 - 2cs 3 5 ll 22 - 2c 3 S52222 + sc( c2

­ s2)5 1212
566 4s 2 C2 5 uu - 8S 2 C2 5 11 22 + 4S 2 C2 S2222 + (c 4 - 2S2C 2 + s4 )51212
2 2
5 44 C 5 1313 + S 5 2323

5 45 CS5 1313 - CS5 2323

5 55 s25 1313 + c2 52323 (6 .11)

where c a nd s resp ectively indicate cos 0 and sin 0, while e indicates the fib er p ly a ngle in
respect to the positive x l-axis (See Figure 6.2).
For orthotropic layered lamina tes Sij kl are obtainable as

1
5 llU
E L
1
S222 2
E'r
-vLT
5 11 22
ET
1
5 1212
G LT
1
5 1313
Gw
1
5 2323 (6 .12)
GTO

where the subscripts Land T indicate the in-plane longitudinal and transverse directions
of the fib ers, and 0 indicates the out-of-plane transverse direction. Ei denote the Yo ung's
moduli, G ij denote the shear moduli and Vij denote the Poisson's ratio's.